Tom Little is ‘hungrier than ever’ to make his mark in boxing’s heavyweight division, according to Graham Earl, after the 24-year-old maintained his perfect start to life as a professional boxer.
The former lightweight world champion saw his young protégé make it three wins out of three with a routine 40-36 points victory over Lithuania’s Ignoris Borucha last Saturday.
It was Little’s first fight since signing a co-promotion deal with Frank Maloney and he made his debut appearance on television at Liverpool’s Olympia, albeit in a brief highlights package.
Little weighed in at 17st 10lbs for his four round clash after his manager revealed he shed four-and-a-half stone for the fight, where he showed good hand speed, one-twos off the jab and solid body shots.
“Tom boxed very well and he’s definitely improving all the time,” said the manager/promoter, adding: “Some of it was a bit messy but the fella [Borucha] felt his power and started to hold on.”
Little fought on the undercard of David Price’s first round demolition of John McDermott to clinch the vacant English heavyweight strap.
The lean-looking Olympic bronze medallist knocked McDermott to the canvas an impressive three time inside 73 seconds to announce himself as the mandatory challenger to British and Commonwealth champion Tyson Fury.
Those are the heights that Little is desperate to hit and Earl believes he’s seen what his fighter needs to do to reach them.
“There’s a long way to go yet,” Earl said of Little in comparison to Price. “But I still think he could be on for a Southern Area title in a year and the British belt in two.
"We’ve both seen what we need to change but the heavyweight division is still wide open.
“Price caught McDermott and when that happens in the heavyweight division you go down.
“Tom sparred with John a week before and he was saying then that if he didn’t win he might consider retiring so I don’t think he was in the right mindset.”
Luton light middleweight James Smith, one of Earl’s other prospects, had a less fulfilling night, taking a fight against 2011 ABA 71kg champion James Metcalf at two days’ notice.
But he suffered his third defeat on the spin, having to retire on his stool after the first round, suffering some discomfort in his left hand.
Earl is now focusing on fights for two of his other prospects, Terry Holmes and Danny Mulhern, who both step into the ring in London’s King’s Cross on February 24 on Mickey Helliet’s Hellraiser Promotions next bill, after which he is planning another show of his own in Luton in April.
